Missing Pages
by skittery's bad mood
Summary: Blink deserves all the hatred Boots can give him...or does he?


A/N- SPECS- This is my story for the challenge three on the Newsie Challenge. I hope you like it! Skits pretty much gave me the idea for writing this story, so all the glory goes to her! YAY!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies.  
  
THE MISSING PAGES  
  
I sat on a chair in the back of the lodging house bunk room, evilly eyeing the boy who acted as though he had not made my life miserable. Blink.  
  
He laughed on the other side of the room, where he was playing cards with Race, Mush, and Skittery. They all looked to be having fun. Blink was just playing innocent though. He had no idea, or acted like he had no idea about the pain he had caused me. I narrowed my eyes, hoping that he might turn my way and see me, glaring at him. Maybe then he would become frightened, because he knows the things I could do to him. He knows I'm fearless and strong, and—  
  
"Meep!" I jumped as someone poked my shoulder. I turn to face my attacker like a man. Itey stood there, smiling.  
  
"Hey, Boots!" He said happily, "I didn't know you could jump dat high."  
  
I frowned, he had actually thought that he had scared me, but he didn't. I was pretending for the sake of our friendship. That was all. "Yeah well, so what. What did ya want?" I turned to make sure Blink hadn't moved. He hadn't.  
  
Snitch and me are out of money, and we wanted ta go ta da bakery really quick ta get some dinner, could you help me out?"  
  
"I'se actually out of money too, now if you'll excuse me, I have some stuff I'se got ta do." I turned and sat back down onto my chair in the corner of the room to resume my glaring and planning.  
  
Itey stood by me for a few more moments and then left. I had no sympathy for him or his friend as I watched them exit the room. He knew I had to save up my money. I glared again at Blink; it was all his fault I have to save up. I won't be eating anything but my leftover papes for weeks.  
  
"Hey, Boots!" My eyes widened. Blink was calling to me. "Come ovah heah a sec, will ya?"  
  
I immediately jumped to my feet and made my way to the older boy with one eyes.  
  
As I neared the circle of larger and older boys who were all gambling, I figured by the piles of large amounts of money and the smaller ones that Race was winning, and Skittery, who looked extremely angry, was loosing.  
  
"Yeah, Blink?" I asked quietly looking at the ground. He had no idea I was about to lash out at him.  
  
"I need ya ta do my gamblin' real quick. I'se got ta go talk ta Jack. Can ya do it foah me?" He smiled at me and punched my shoulder.  
  
I winced as his hand connected to my skin, not out of pain though. I looked at his small pile of coins, and a plan began forming in my mind. I grinned at Blink and took his place in the circle. Now the funn and not to mention payback would begin.  
  
"Boots, what happened?!" I grinned inside my head when Blink came back and saw all his coins gone.  
  
"Sorry, blink, I guess I'se just not lucky t'night." I sighed, but laughed in my head.  
  
"He wasn't even tryin'. Moah like gave away yoah money, he kept foldin'." Skittery interrupted, his pile was slightly larger now.  
  
I glared at that loud mouthed, bad moody...guy. He could ruin everything for me. "Honest, Blink, I didn't mean ta."  
  
Blink looked at Skittery and then to me, and then to Mush.  
  
"He did fold, Kid, even when his hand was a good one." Mush shrugged  
  
I groaned. Maybe this plan hadn't worked out as well as I had thought it would. Suddenly, I was being picked up by my shirt.  
  
"Why'd ya loose all me money, Boots?" Blink asked, he still had a tight grip on my clothes.  
  
I gulped, but I returned his stare, "like you don't know." I growled.  
  
"What are ya talkin' about?" The one eyed kid asked looking flabbergasted, whatever that means.  
  
So, he wasn't going to admit to the crime until I brought out the proof, was he? Fine then. I yanked free of his grip and turned to where my bed was. He followed me, I knew he would, as well as some others, who were also curious.  
  
I pulled my pillow off of my bed and picked up the little book hidden under it. I pushed it at his face. He looked confused at first; he even scrunched up his face as if in thought. I had to admit, he was a pretty good actor.  
  
"Whatis dis?" He asked turningf the book over in his hands.  
  
"Dat is, or was, my only chance of learnin' ta read, and now it's just an old book dat doesn't woik no moah." I sniffed and turned from him, the traitor.  
  
"But dis book's got da last t'ree pages missin'." Blink observed.  
  
I bit my lip, "well, it did have all da pages, until I lent it ta you."  
  
"You lent dis book ta me?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, two wintahs ago. I had just gotten it foah Christmas and you borrowed it. Den foah weeks latah, I found it under my bed, da end of da story gone. As well as my hopes and dreams, down da drain." I turned back to face him, "I will nevah find out what happened ta da puppy who couldn't find his way home!"  
  
Blink examined my book once more before flipping though the five pages. He looked back at me and smiled. "Sorry about dat," he said. How I hated him, right down to his stupid eye patch.  
  
"Da dog makes it home t'ough."  
  
I snatched the book from him and held it close. How dare he? First, he ruins my one chance at finally learning to read, and then he spoils the ending. I wish I would just... "You got what ya desoived." I said.  
  
Blink sighed, "listen pal," How dare he cal me pal! "If ya felt dat bad about it, ya should have told me, I would a bought you a new book."  
  
I blinked away a few tears. They were from my anger, not from crying. I don't cry.  
  
"But now dat me money is all gone, you'se gotta wait a bit." He put a hand on my shoulder. I didn't need his sympathy, I shook his hand away and I walked out of the room. He just didn't understand anything.  
  
I sighed as I looked at my morning headline the next day. The letters on my paper sort of blurred, I didn't know what half of the words said. I looked over at my selling partner, Snipeshooter. "Hey, Snipe, what's dis woid?" I pointed to a word in the headline.  
  
He looked at it, "Dat's, begin, I t'ink." He patted my shoulder and returned to his paper.  
  
I sighed again. It would have been easier to read if I had finished my book.  
  
It was a long day for selling. I had five extra papers by the end of the morning. I made my way back to the lodging house.  
  
Several boys greeted me as I entered the room and slumped to my bed. All I wanted to do was lie down and be miserable for the rest of my life without the puppy who lost his way.  
  
But when I got to my bed, I noticed it was already occupied. My eyes went big, could it be? The shiny new cover, with a happy white puppy catching a ball, it was! The Puppy Who Lost His Way!  
  
I let out a cry of happiness and snatched the book from my bed. I flipped through the pages. Yes, they were all there. I grinned excitedly, but, who could have given this to me? I looked around the room, and my eyes instantly fell on Blink, who was watching the card game, instead of joining it. He looked up at me and grinned, then turned back to the game.  
  
I hugged the book closer to me. Maybe Blink wasn't so bad. But then again, there was that one time when he stole my pant. 


End file.
